“It was a road some said couldn’t be built. Most of the men ordered to make it happen were African American soldiers sorted into Army units by the color of their skin. As World War II raged, they labored day and night in the jungles of Burma, sometimes halfway up 10,000-foot mountains, drenched by 140 …
Trishaws (or Side-car as it is known in Myanmar) are the easiest and most convenient mode of transportation in Myanmar, especially outside of Yangon. Although buses are the major mode of travel in Yangon, very few buses run the streets of other major cities and towns in Burma. In smaller towns in Myanmar, there is no public bus service. People in these smaller cities and towns have to rely on trishaws as the major mode of public transport.
The first time I traveled to Hakha was in 2004, December. It was cold, dark and wet. The city was constantly under blackout, and there was no internet connection. The next time I went there was in May 2005. The blackout was worse now, with no electricity for the whole city at all for the whole day. Internet was still unheard of for most people.
I traveled back to Hakha again in 2007. This time, things were changed. There was now one internet cafe opened in Hakha. The internet cafe was at Shine Store
The following is the English translation of a traveler’s story to Inle. Original article was written in Burmese and can be read at To Inle Again. This time when I went back to Taunggyi (the capital of Shan State), I visited Inle Lake. I didn’t have enough time this time so I could only visited …
Falam is the capital of Falam District, Northern Chin State. There are two districts in Chin State, Falam in the north and Mindat in the south. Falam, Tiddim, Tunzan and Htantalan constitute Falam District. Before 1965, Falam was the capital of Chin State. However, in 1965 the then Chin State Administration (Chin Uzi) decided to …
A political journal will be published for the first time on Thursday in Myanmar.
This ‘Northern Star’ journal will focus on political views, political issues at a time when the 2010 general elections are due. The editor-in-chief of this new journal will be army veteran and former government daily paper ‘New Light of Myanmar’ Vice Editor-in-Chief U Thiha Aung.
“Myanmar is heading towards democracy. We will publish this journal in the belief that it’s time to write on political issues in this period of transition to democracy. We will publish some articles written by journalists and writers which will be beneficial for the people along with reviews. Political parties will be formed soon and the organizational work of these parties will commence too. We will review the past and show the right way as we believe to the people”, U Thiha Aung said.
“It’s been 20 years from 1988 to 2008. In our country, people know something and don’t know something too. Some known facts are forgotten also. There are milestones in our history which must be recollected and remembered. We will integrate these historical facts with the up-to-date situation for public study. Our articles will be something on these lines,” he added……….
Rice prices in Myanmar are falling. However, fall in price is mainly in the price paid to the rice farmers for rice grain. The price of polished rice sold in the domestic market remains high. Current grain price for low grade rice is 250,000 kyat (about US$ 250) per 100 tin (Burmese system for measuring rice and grain, equivalent to 66 sacks), while the price for high grade rice is currently at 450,000 kyat (US$ 450) per 66 sacks. (Rice in Burma is usually sold in sack). This is the price paid to rice farmers by the millers.
Polished rice at the wholesale market is currently at 14,000 to 16,000 kyat (US$ 130 – 150) per sac for low grade rice, while high grade rice is sold at more than 24,000 kyat per sac. Usually, 66 sacks of grain will yield 32 sacks of polished rice after milling. At this rate, 66 sacks of grain (bought at 250,000 kyat would yield more than 500,000 kyat (double the buying price)………
As of 1 April 2012, Central Bank of Myanmar has officially float the kyat in the market. Currently, there is not much difference between the official rate and black market. Official rate now reflects the actual market rate. Be very careful of using unofficial money exchanges. There are several incidents where customers are cheated by these …
Buses leave Kalay to Hakha everyday from Tarhan Bus Terminal. There are two bus lines, Chin Taung Tan and Shwe Chindit. One bus each leaves from each line everyday except Sunday. The buses leave the terminal at 5.00 AM in the morning. I took Chin Taung Tan bus on early morning. The bus left the …
Last 20 years saw the establishment of beer culture in Myanmar. Before 1988, beer is a rare commodity in Myanmar. The government produced Mandalay beer was always in short supply. It was available only in a very few hotels and restaurants. Foreign brands like Heineken and Tiger beer were available in black markets at a …